What Is The Future Of The Navajo Generating Station?

The Navajo Generating Station a coal-burning power plant near Page, Arizona.

The Navajo Nation is considering taking over the Kayenta Mine as well as the coal plant it feeds, the Navajo Generating Station (NGS), which is slated to close this year.

The impending closure of NGS has been in the news for years as the energy industry shifts away from coal and toward cleaner sources of energy. The Salt River Project announced it would close the mine in 2017 because producing electricity from sources like natural gas is so much cheaper.

But the plant and mine are so important to the tribal economy, Navajo speaker Lorenzo Bates said earlier this week the tribe must consider all options.

Ryan Randazzo has been covering the story for the Arizona Republic and joined The Show to talk more about it.